Author's Note: This is a small one-shot that I wrote. Before you read this make sure to read the summary, because it is symbolic of the piece. Hope you like it!
The Cactus Flower
The twin suns of Tatooine bathed the yellow sand of the great desert in a glow of orange, their rays sweeping across the horizon. The silver hull of the alien Nubian vessel gleamed bright, rivaling the intensity of the falling suns. Silence captivated the landscape with only the occasional whistle of the dry wind. No life was to be seen, and a sense of dread and fear hung heavily in the air. Then, with a soft hiss, the plank of the starship slowly levered to the sandy ground, reflecting the lights of the desert sunset in flashes as it descended. A slight shadow emerged from the vessel, carefully treading down to the desert ground. The young woman looked back up the plank, her dark eyes warily scanning for anyone who might have followed her. The soft orange hues of her plain gown blended with the desert that surrounded her, shielding her from the galaxy. Her small hands came up to her hood, and carefully revealed her rich, braided, brown hair. Silence returned to the desert as she stood still, her eyes never leaving their spot on the distant horizon.
Another shadow appeared on the landing ramp, pausing at the top. It stood there for a moment, quietly observing the young woman. Finally it began down the ramp, the sound of footsteps lost to the wind. With a stop, the figure came to stand beside the young woman, crossing its arms inside its flowing brown robes.
"You should be inside the ship, my lady," the young man spoke finally.
The handmaiden never moved, "I know."
Silence once again spiraled down, as the two relaxed in the wake of the desert sunset. The young man turned to look at the handmaiden, his blue eyes calm.
"Do you feel it?" he asked, his slight accent laced in with his words.
The young woman turned her head, her bright eyes searching, "Yes…I do."
The young man nodded, turning once more to narrow his eyes at the orange glare of the twin suns, "Something is going to happen, soon. I don't pretend to be accurate in my predictions, but I do feel a great deal of darkness."
The young woman shivered involuntarily, "I can only hope that Padmé will be safe."
"I would not fear for her, my lady: she seems quite capable, and the Queen seemed sure of her decision when she allowed her to leave."
"The Queen does not pretend her actions and decisions are always the right ones," the young woman spoke acerbically.
The young man momentarily frowned, but then his soothing voice once again broke the desert air, "Do not be afraid, my lady."
Suddenly, the handmaiden's voice became small, losing the regal air of before, "But I am so afraid. I fear for everything I always thought would be safe and remain untouched: my family, my home planet. So many things have changed in such a short time, and I am powerless to help."
The young man's brow creased in sympathy, and his hand came to rest on her slim shoulders, "My master will return with the parts we need, and we will bring you and your Queen to Coruscant. Your people will be freed."
The handmaiden turned her eyes up to the meet the blue of the young man's, "Thank you, Jedi Kenobi, I appreciate your words."
"Obi-Wan. Please, call me Obi-Wan," the Jedi padawan corrected.
"Then call me Sabé," the handmaiden responded, a twinkle in her saddened eyes.
The Jedi smiled, "Very well, Sabé."
Both turned once again to look at to the horizon, bathing in the last warmth of the day before the veil of night possessed the landscape in its icy clutches, shrouding everything with darkness. A soft wind licked the brown robes of the Jedi, and stirred the hem of the handmaiden's dress, spraying sand into their faces. Yet neither seemed to care, as they stood content by each other, finding peace in the midst of fear and darkness. Sand raced from the tops of the dunes, picked up by the wind and blown into the dry air currents, gathering together in a mass of yellow reflected with gold.
The handmaiden stole a glance at the young man beside her before returning her glaze to the desert, "Have you ever been to the lake region of Naboo, Obi-Wan?"
The Jedi shook his head regretfully, "No. I have only ever been to Naboo on the occasion where I rescued your Queen and you."
"It is beautiful this season. The crystal water from the waterfalls sprays onto the green grass that covers the banks and when the sun sends its soft rays the life of the lake awakes. You can hear the gentle cries of the katnaidu and the many orchids color the water as they bloom," Sabé whispered wistfully.
"So far as I have seen, everything from Naboo is beautiful," Obi-Wan murmured in assent, his blue eyes never leaving Sabé's face.
Sabé's eyes shyly sought out Obi-Wan's gaze, and one could have said that the sadness vanished from her brown eyes to be replaced with a new, tenderer emotion. The wind suddenly threw the yellow sand of the desert in between them and both hurriedly looked back at the fiery colors of the waning suns.
"The sand storm is starting up again," the young Jedi commented after slightly clearing his throat.
Sabé nodded. Then she turned towards him and found that he was turning towards her as well. Both opened their mouths to speak and promptly closed them as they saw the other was about to do so.
Obi-Wan gestured to the handmaiden, "Please, you first, Sabé."
Sabé looked at him hesitantly and when he only smiled encouragingly she spoke, "I…I've never been to Coruscant. And in this time, where everything must work out correctly and quickly, I find that I do not trust the Senate to decide for our people. They are so far away that they cannot possibly know the struggle of the Naboo, the pain and sorrow that has covered our planet."
"I am not exactly one who could lift your hopes much: I have faith in neither politics nor politicians. But Coruscant is my home planet…at least I believe so." Obi-Wan offered.
Sabé looked up at him in surprise, "You do not know where you were born, where you come from?"
"I have lived in the Jedi Temple since as early as I can remember, and Coruscant has been as much a home to me as anywhere could ever be to a Jedi," Obi-Wan admitted sheepishly.
"Do you remember your family at all? Your mother, your father?" Sabé asked.
Obi-Wan shook his head, "I have no family that I am aware of."
Sabé gazed into the sunset, "If I ever lost my mother, I fear I could never look at the world without crying. She is all I have ever had in my life. My father abandoned us when I was still a baby, I hardly remember him. He was killed a few years back in Corellia."
"I am sorry about your father," Obi-Wan offered awkwardly.
Sabé didn't move, "Don't be. I hate him for what he did to my mother."
Obi-Wan didn't respond.
"Other than my mother, I have Padmé, who is my cousin. And now, both of their lives are uncertain. I haven't heard from my mother since the Trade Federation landed, and Padmé is away, somewhere I cannot see her and guard her."
"You cannot always protect those you find that you need," Obi-Wan commented softly.
Sabé turned to him, her gaze intense, "Yet that is why you are here, standing watch with me. You fear losing your master as much as I fear losing Padmé."
Obi-Wan struggled to keep his face clear as he once more fixed his eyes on the two orange orbs in the horizon. "Yes, you are right," he spoke after a while, "I know that if I lost my master I would drown in the darkness that always lurks around. It would consume me and eat me from inside, in such a way that I could never again see light. I too am afraid, Sabé, and I should not be."
Sabé's expression was sad, "We are all afraid inside, whether or not we admit so to ourselves. That is why there is corruption and darkness, because of the constant fear which is always present inside us."
"That is why there are Jedi, who are taught to live without fear. To save the world from this darkness," Obi-Wan recited solemnly.
"You are my light, Obi-Wan. From all the Jedi I have ever met, you are the only one that I believe a true Jedi. It does not matter that you feel fear, because you acknowledge it. Your presence brings such calm that I am soothed, and my fears diminish, if only for this few moments," Sabé said softly.
Obi-Wan smiled a genuine smile, "Thank you, Sabé."
The cloudless sky was colored an intense fiery red, and yet the placid hues of the desert seem to dominate that color until the landscape was soft and gentle in its coloring. The warm wind gusted delicately through the air and spread the last notes of the falling day.
Obi-Wan broke the silence, his voice hesitant and gentle, "I think we find at one point in our lives, our duty restrains us. For you, as a Nubian, far from your planet, you feel helpless in this crisis; stranded on a small planet that will not help you and hoping that tomorrow you will have the parts to leave. All this while the pain and suffering of your people at the back of your mind."
Sabé gave a small nod, her sad eyes unseeing.
"For me…I…I find that the Jedi code is at times hard to follow. It prohibits attachments of any kind and outlaws love. The code is harsh, and demands much more than I feel I can give. Sometimes I question if my future as a knight can be the right path with such a restriction," he finished submissively.
Sabé gazed up at him, and seemed ready to speak, but Obi-Wan merely shook his head, tenderly placing a finger on her lips for her silence. The handmaiden's eyes were clasped to the true blue of the Jedi's eyes. Pulling her hand towards him, Obi-Wan gently placed a slight object inside her palm, and carefully folded her slender fingers around it. Then, with one last gaze at her eyes, he silently made his way to the ramp, pausing slightly once to look at her.
It was only after Obi-Wan's figure had disappeared into the gleaming sliver starship that Sabé realized what he had meant with his words. The wind seemed to die down with a slight whisper in her ear. Then, carefully and tenderly she uncurled her hand. Sunlight shone from the waning twin suns behind her as she smiled for the first time that day, gazing at the frail cactus blossom in her palm.
Author's Note: There it is! Please, review and tell me what you think. I know that it is kind of depressing, but a little review won't hurt you ;) For those of you who didn't get the symbolism: the cactus flower represents love, and in a way Sabé. The needles which might sting Obi-Wan if he tries to achieve this are the rules of the Jedi Council. Remember to review!
- AneleTiger